42 plow drivers for the Van Buren County Road Commission have had a chance to show their stuff in a driving competition featuring an obstacle course as part of the commission’s annual Employee Appreciation Day.

Commission Managing Director Bret Witkowski tells us the Rodeo was held Friday in Lawrence. The plow drivers had to engage in some precision driving.

“A course was set up and we used GPS to set it up, kind of like what the Ohio State Band does when they first started doing it, and it’s a contest that really tests the driver’s ability, backing up basically,” Witkowski said. “We got a big front end plow, how you plow and hit mailboxes.”

Witkowski says another challenge involved hitting balls with flags attached to the plows, something that gets harder as the balls get smaller. He says the drivers showed some real skill.

“You have two mailboxes and between them you have five barrels. And the five barrels you are supposed to hit, because that’s like you’re getting to the road’s edge, but not hit the mailboxes. I think we only had two mailboxes get dinged throughout the whole day.”

The drivers competed for points based on driving skills on a course designed to simulate actual snow plowing operations. They were scored for accuracy, safety, and speed. In addition, points were earned for educational sessions, and a diagnostic exam on a truck.

The top three drivers in the Rodeo were David Stafinski, Trevor Holt, and Daniel Kurzmann. Stafinski will now go on to a state competition.

Witkowski says the day was a fun way to show appreciation for the hard work done by plow drivers.